


Little Blue Nowhere

by maybelexa



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), Fifth Harmony (Band), One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Comedy, F/F, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2019-11-14 17:02:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18056543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybelexa/pseuds/maybelexa
Summary: If I had to be one hundred percent completely honest right now my life is pretty boring. I grew up with the same best friends, in the same little blue house, on the same street, in the same town, where my parents grew up a few doors down. I walk the same path, through the creek, under the old water tower, and down Main Street to get to school. Only stopping on my way back to visit old lady Mary in the ugly green house covered by oak trees. I wear my wavy brown hair the exact same way as I did in third grade, over the shoulders with a bow to keep my bangs in place. As you can see there was no way in the history of anything that I could prepare for the storm that is the one and only miss Lauren Jauregui.





	1. Enter Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story a couple of years ago now so I have a lot of chapters pre-written that just need some editing. All in all, I am currently writing a book and I'm hoping that by posting this and getting feedback it will keep me in the habit of writing. This is by no means my best work or even close to it but this should be fun anyway!

“So I was thinking that maybe we could do something fun tonight!” Dinah’s voice rang across the table, breaking my concentration, and causing my balancing act of school supplies to scatter across the nearly empty classroom. 

“Like what?” I mumbled propping my chin on my knuckles giving the tan skinned girl across from me what little attention I had left for the day.

“Ummm we could go, Bowling! Oh! Oh! Or we could go see that new movie with Zac Effron!” 

Don’t get me wrong I love Dinah. She’s been my best friend since crayons were currency. Physically we couldn’t be a further match. Where she had a natural glowing tan I naturally glow in the dark. Her chocolate ombre falls straight shoulder length while my deep brown crashes in a natural disaster of waves and curls down to my hips. But we have always gotten along. Sleepovers, the pranks, the bracelets, sharing secrets, any of the cliches you could think of we have done them all. Twice. 

I rolled my eyes and let out a huff, “Di we go, Bowling, every week. The Alley even puts aside your shoe size and favorite ball every Tuesday night.” 

Just as she opens her mouth to retort the school bell rang through the halls and on queue everyone filtered past the lockers and the open classroom doors. I’ve always thought it was strange how everyone just got up and moved on the chime of a simple bell. 

“Well then what do YOU want to do tonight princess?” Dinah mocked on my right bringing us back to our previous task of planning out our weekend.

“Oh someone is feisty this morning!” A familiar figure walked up swaying her hip into mine. 

“Normani! I am so glad you could make it! Princess Cabello here is oh so terribly bored!”   
Dinah gasped dramatically flinging a wrist over her eyes earning a chuckle from the lengthy raven-haired girl to my left. I rolled my eyes when low and behold as if the good lord himself had heard my thoughts trouble came strolling through the door. 

The moment I laid eyes on her I should have turned around and run back to my little blue house with my perfect white sheets. But there was trouble in her blazing green eyes and the wicked curve of her lips. Something about her wild dark hair cascading over her shoulder and the leather clinging to her arms screamed adventure and I was one sweet nothing away from hoping the border into the next daydream. 

“Earth to planet Cabello! Yo Camila where you at?” I’m not sure exactly how long I was drooling but Dinah's dancing act of snapping fingers hinted at longer than necessary. 

“What? Yea. For sure.” I mumbled quickly trying to recover as my eyes continue to trail down the hallway after her. Jesus blink Cabello.

“We asked if you studied for the physics test?” Normani replied flatly.

“THE WHAT?” If I had whipped around any faster I think my head would have spun right off. Normani just lifted one perfectly arched eyebrow and stalked off dragging me down the hallway with Dinah close in tow. 

...

The rest of the day went by as usual. After physics was math and then straight to lunch with no sign of the dark-haired girl from the morning. Dinah and I took turns napping during Math and English, swapping notes in the hallway afterward as we’ve done every day since we made that packed in fourth grade. Before I knew it the familiar feeling of sweat tickled my ear and slipped down my neck as I dodged jersey after jersey each becoming a white blur fading behind me. The ball gliding flawlessly between wide strides as I made my way down the field until something caught my eye. 

Just off to the side of the field brushing the surrounding forest stood a pair of unforgettable long legs exposed by rips in the covering fabric. She looked casual, almost amused even, as she leaned against a tall pine tree with her arms crossed over her chest. Suddenly her eyes began to grow swallowing me whole until the ground was in my throat. 

“CAMILA!” 

A rhythmic thump pulsed from the top of my head snaking its way through my neck and shoulders until the throbbing was everywhere. 

“CAMILA!” 

A painful squint spread across my face before I can open my eyes and see a pair of green eyes staring back at me. The same eyes from the hallway this morning and the trees just a moment ago but all of the danger seemed softer somehow as if she was almost... concerned? No, I don’t even know her. 

“CAMILA!” 

The girl looked up and brought herself up from her knees, indifference wafting from her distant gaze and posture. 

“CAMILA!” 

Where is that soun-

“CAMILA! Are you okay?! What happened out there?!” 

Throwing one last glance at me and my teammates the green-eyed girl tucked her hands in her jacket pockets and walked off into the trees once again before I could manage to say a word.

“Yo Cabello, what was that?” Dinah laid down on her side mirroring me. The whole team circled around as a deep red began to burn my face and crawl down my neck surrounding my ears. 

Real smooth Cabello. Real smooth.

“I uh I just lost track of the ball.” More like I lost track of my mind. “I’m fine let's just get back to practice.” I began struggling to lift myself off the ground when I felt a pair of familiar tan arms tuck under mine and pull me up.

“Alrighty, common little C lets go get some ice for that head of yours.”

I couldn’t help but smile as Dinah let me lean on her and we make our way across the field and back to the main building.

“I can walk by myself ya know.” 

“Sure you can princess. Tell that to the ball you just squished with your clumsy feet.”


	2. Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer because they started out super short when I initially wrote them and I've been combining the first few chapters. After this, they will level out lengthwise.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“OH! DAWG! Did you see it?! Are you payin attention? Don’t worry I’ll play it again.” 

Thanks to Coach Brooke’s new policy of taping all of our practices and putting them on our team's private site for everyone to, “Spot growing opportunities”, Dinah has had my face plant on repeat. 

“Di come on turn it off I’m embarrassed enough.” I let my body fall heavily back onto the mattress and produced an Emmy winning sigh. Nothin. Nada. Zip. Eyes glued to the video. I flop my arms back dramatically onto the pillows behind me with another zombie worthy groan and peeked one eye open hoping to catch a reaction. 

“C could you keep it down!” She lazily flopped her hand limply at me, “The part where you step on the ball and Cece runs into the goal is coming up... Oh hey, what was up with that girl from earlier?” 

Just the mention of the girl had me bolting up like lightning and slipping onto the floor with the dull thud of excitement. 

“What? What girl? I didn’t see a girl.” I strained for casual as I began quickly brushing rouge strands of hair back in their place and smoothing out my old t-shirt. 

Dinah just sat there with a skeptical sideways glare and a Twizzler hanging from her lips, “Yea... right... Well, she just kinda walked off don’t you think that was weird?”

“I uh I guess.”

“Well did she say anything to you?”

“Ummm no... no, she didn’t.”

“Whatever.” The tan-skinned girl turned her full attention back to the computer screen with a shrug and my mind raced back to the tree line and a certain someone with eyes as green as the pines after a rainstorm.

...

 

The rest of the night consisted of Dinah flipping through ‘Worlds Greatest Fail’ videos until it was time to stroll across the street and help her mother cook for her fifteen brothers and sisters. Dinah is used to being surrounded by people, I think that's why she never complains about the crowded hallways or getting stabbed with an elbow every time someone takes off their shirt in the locker room like everyone else. I, on the other hand, need the silence to think about cute mysterious girls that appear out of nowhere and things out of my control like world hunger or the Ebola Virus. And of course those thoughts consumed me far into the witching hours of the morning until finally drifting to sleep. Only to be woken up by a waterfall of crashing pots and pans.

“What's going on!” I screamed as I flew down the staircase to see Sophia surrounded by a puddle of cooking utensils and containers.

“Sophia what are you doing!”

“Mommy told me to pack my lunch!” She popped out her bottom lip eyes dropping to the ground.

“Wait, Sophie...” 

Oh no.

“You are never up before...”

Oh shit.

A dead sprint up the stairs ended in a brawl between the last step and my jaw. A casualty I had no time to mourn before I was half dressed and out the door. Splashing through the creek, darting under the brittle water tower, flying down Main Street, and tumbling through the wide double doors just as the final bell echoes its last call through the deserted halls. I drop my bag onto the floor and let my back slide down the cold lockers bringing a hand to my surely swollen jaw.

“Rough morning?” 

Like notes from a cello, the voice wrapped around my body and seeped into my ears bringing my eyes to a pair of legs dressed in tight denim following a loose hanging plaid shirt over a tight white tank. Her black hair cascaded over a single shoulder making her green eyes seem to blaze like fire as they pierced through my eyes and surely my soul. 

“I uh... I... Ummm... Yea.” Jesus Cabello get it together, “That obvious huh?”

“The tornado on your head kind gave it away.” She smirked as I scrambled to my feet, hastily running fingers through dark tangles. The stranger's eyebrows bunched together with an expression of slight concern flashed over her sharp features, just like on the field. 

“What happened to your jaw?” She lifted her hand as if to brush my jaw before quickly retreating back to her side. 

I raised my own hand back to this mornings war wound and winced slightly as my fingers brushed the cut. “Oh, I uh woke up a little late and got in a fight with the staircase,” I replied with a shrug but the throbbing was starting to set in with a splash of heat.

She raised one eyebrow and hummed to her self, “Do you wanna get out of here?”

Do I what? 

“huh?” My mouth practically hit the floor as I shot up to meet her eyes.

“Do YOU want to get out of here?” Her lips pursed as she emphasized my involvement in this obviously insane plan of escape.

“I uh I don’t even know your name.” 

One corner of her mouth stretched wide into a daring crooked smile as she extended her hand to me, “Lauren Jauregui.”

“Lauren.” I let the name roll around my tongue as I took her hand and they fell into a slow rhythm. She stared at me expectantly lifting her eyebrow once more.

What is she waiting for?

“Oh! Shit! Camila... Cabello!” I let out a nervous laugh as our hands picked up the pace again in sync with my rapid heartbeat and slowed once more before realizing we’ve been holding on one minute too long and I let her hand slip back to her side, “I’m Camila.”

“Well, then Cameela, would you like to get out of here?” She drawled with a click of her tongue. I don’t dare look her in the eye, instead casting my gaze down the hall towards the classroom door. I couldn’t run off with a perfect stranger... Could I?

“I uh I can’t ummm I had actually better get to class Coach would kill me if I didn’t show.” A half-hearted laugh escaped my chest in an attempt to resist stealing a glimpse of those emerald eyes.

“Alright.” She shrugged and I can’t stop myself from staring at her now. If disappointment every crossed her mind she never showed it. Rather she dropped her shoulders carelessly in a shrug and tucked her hands into her front pockets. 

“See you around, Cameela.” With that, she turned and disappeared behind the large double doors. 

...

What. Have. I. Done. 

In another universe, I’m flying down the highway with the radio blasting and the one and only blasphemously beautiful Lauren Jauregui at my side. Shooting me those half-cocked smiles that make me feel like I’m going to throw up... In a good way... Damn, I don’t even know this girl. BUT this is reality and I am a coward trying not to bang my head against the desk as Coach Brooke goes over the quantitative value of gravity. And just like yesterday and every day before, math and nap time rolled around and when lunch crawled by there was no sign of Lauren. In fact, the only time I’ve ever seen the black haired girl was early in the morning before classes began and late in the afternoon during practice. Granted I have known her for a whopping total of 32 hours and only of her name for seven of those, but that hasn’t stopped my brain from replaying our interaction this morning as I run my laps around the field. 

Thanks to a slight concussion from yesterdays spill and this morning stair brawl Coach has me running laps while the team has practice. I’ve known Coach Brooke since we were all seven or so, she would babysit us on the weekends when she wasn’t in school herself, of course, we all called her Ally back then. I remember if any of us had come back from playing with even the smallest scratch you would have thought we lost a limb the way Ally reacted. So I knew there was no chance she’d let me practice with the team today.

“Hey, speed racer!” Dinah called as she began catching up to me on the opposite side of the field from where the team was packing up their gear and heading in. “Are you going deaf or something? I called your name like a million times.”

“Oh sorry Di, I must have zoned out,” I replied catching my breath.

“Yea you’ve been doing that a lot the last couple of days.” Something about her tones sharp but she displayed no signs of discontent, “Let's get going Coach said it’s starting to get too cold to practice this late.” 

I couldn’t help but cast one last glance at the tree line only to be met with falling leaves and bare branches weaving a barrier to a never-ending forest. Since I was little I’ve been mesmerized by the large pine trees that scattered over Denver. Dinah, Normani, and I would always crawl under their branches and make temporary homes for the afternoon. Now the world behind them is a mystery to me.

“Hey, Camilla!” 

This day could not get worse.

“Oh hey, Austin,” I replied trying to look anywhere and everywhere out of his direction.

It’s not that Austin is a bad guy I mean all the girls in school have been all over him since he swooped in with a surfboard and the California sun on his back. He was quickly elected quarterback for our high school team and could charm just about anyone with one of his cheeky grins and signature hair flips. Well... just about anyone. The only reason I tolerated him at all is because he always offered to mow our law and our dads play golf together every Sunday. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to come to my party tomorrow night?” Normani and Dinah seemed to hold their breath while I became particularly interested in my shoelaces. 

“You can bring your friends along of course!” He added hastily and gave them a quick nod and a wink.

God, I’m going to throw up.

“Yes!” Dinah squealed bouncing in place. 

“We will totally be there!” Normani clapped her hands and sealed the deal, there was no backing out now.

“Great! Then I will see you all tomorrow! Camilla, girls.” And with one last obnoxious wink, he strutted off the field towards his awaiting clan of Spartans.

“Great,” I mumble under my breath but even if I had shouted any sarcasm would have been drowned out by my two best friends talking excitedly back and forth about what to wear and if five minutes early is fifteen minutes late then how late is too late?

Whatever.

“Camila girl did you feel Austin vibin all over you?” 

I almost spit out my Gatorade on that one.

“He did whaaaaattt?!” I hissed before Normani waved her hand in front of my nose as if she were swatting away my concerns like a pesky little fly.

“What Dinah means is that he was flirting with you pretty hard.” 

“Oh, I didn’t notice...” 

“Hold on I think you need to pick up your eyes after that roll.” Normani laughed and gave me a playful shove into Dinah.

“He can’t even say my name right!” These people can’t be serious. 

“Girl if you aren’t gonna play that I will.” The tan skin girl laughed as she slung an arm over my shoulders.

“Be my guest.” 

Who brings a surfboard to Colorado anyway.


	3. I Don't Want To Miss A Single Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is Replay by Zendaya. 
> 
> I really wish she would make more music, I just need more Zendaya in my life.

I haven’t seen Lauren all day. Not this morning before physics, definitely not at lunch, and forget about the soccer field. The girl was nowhere, vanished like a ghost, and I wish I could say her absence didn’t bother me as much as it did. My brain has been on a Lauren marathon and I can’t seem to find the remote to flip the damn channel. Not that I’d want to if I could. It’s been three days of picturing what she’s doing when the rest of us are at lunch or if she even goes to school at all. I wonder what she does in her spare time or if she has any weird hobbies like knitting or turtle racing. I wonder if she’s a waffle person or a pancake pers-

“Hey, Mila you don’t plan on wearing that to the party do you?” Normani’s eyes trailed up and down my worn blue jeans skeptically with a disapproving stare.

“What's wrong with what I’m wearing!” Well, that came out a little whinier than expected but I wasn’t exactly thrilled about this particular event in the first place. 

“We aren’t saying there's anything wrong with it per-say... just that it seems like your mind is a little else ware right now!” Dinah chimed in and spun around to let me zip up the back of her fire engine red dress. I’ve always admired my best friends bold outfit choices. While Dinah struck for bright colors that made her features pop, Normani fell into the exotic patterns and prints that complimented her ebony skin and dark hair. 

“Yea, what are you brooding about over there?” 

“Pancakes,” I mumbled finishing up with Dinah’s zipper and watched her give it a twirl and an approving nod. 

“You don’t even like Pancakes,” Normani stated without breaking concentration from her lip application.

“Yea you think they get too soggy with the syrup weirdo.” Dinah giggled and ruffled the top of my head before skipping over to my closet and pulling out a pair of tight black jeans, some simple matching heels, and a loose white button up. 

“Here throw this on.” She tossed them my way successfully covering my face in the blouse.

I mumbled thanks through the fabric and began stripping down, tucking the white fabric into the waist of my jeans, leaving the buttons to expose the bridge of the accompanying white lace of my bra, and slipping on the selected heels. I stepped over to the mirror swinging my hip into Normani. “Alright alright, you’re the fairest of them all now scoot.”

The raven-haired girl scoffed but obliged. I started examining the waves of chocolate curls crashing over my shoulders before abandoning all hope of taming the beast and focused my efforts on covering the dark circles plaguing my eyes. Once satisfied with my make up I took one last look over my ensemble skeptically. I plucked a small white bow from my dresser and placed it slightly off center and to the right in the same home its always slept in. 

“Miiiillaaaaa you look fine! Can we go???” Dinah whined sticking out her bottom lip and I imagined she could give Sophie a run for her money. 

“Fine let's get this over with.” 

The tall girl jumped up and down her blonde tipped curls bouncing excitedly as Normani led us out of the house and piled us into her car.

...

 

We could hear the music blaring halfway down the block and I swear the mailbox was shaking when walked up to the large red door. Of course, there was no need to knock as it was propped wide open for anyone to drift through as they please. Austin’s parties were always packed with practically everyone in town. Even some of the kids from the community college in the next town over would make the trip and the entire block would practically shut down with people leaking into the streets and cars parked bumper to bumper on both sides of the street. The rumor is that Mr. Mahone worked out a deal with the cops to give them free car rentals from his dealership if they ignored his son's monthly ragers. Every now and then you’ll see one of them cruising around in a flaring hot Ferrari worth triple their annual salary and some. 

As soon as I stepped through the door and surveyed the crowd I knew this was a bad idea. You know how sometimes you just get that feeling in your gut that says, “Run you, idiot! Run!” but you can't figure out why so you just ignore it? Well, I should have listened because low and behold leaning against the white marble fireplace stood the one and only Lauren Jauregui. Her tight black jeans hugged her hips perfectly while her deep white V-neck revealed just enough cleavage to keep the imagination busy. Her jet black hair fell in its usual waves over a single shoulder and her green eyes seemed to glaze over while a small brunet talked excitedly in front of her. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous that my mystery girl was giving someone else even the slightest bit of attention but I took comfort in the way her forced interest never made it to her eyes. 

And almost as if she could read my mind from across the room her emerald eyes shot up to mine and a jolt of electricity shot down my spine. Her lips curved up the right side of her face in a half-cocked grin and I swear if she pulled the trigger I wouldn’t be able to move an inch.

“Mila! Let's go get some drinks girl!” Dinah popped her hip into mine causing me to cut my eyes away and when they returned Lauren was back to the conversation with the small brunet. Fire flared in my chest and encased my lungs but still, I allowed Dinah to grab my hand and pull me into the kitchen with Normani.   
I watched as the tall raven haired girl poured the three of us shots completely oblivious to Dinah sliding me a small glass cup, “Bottoms up lil C!”

We tapped the glasses in sync to the kitchen counter before shooting its contents and throwing them back onto the granite once more. I winced as the liquid seeped into my chest causing the flames to lap at my throat and the hair on my arms to stand on end. I let go of my tight grip on the counter and watched as my knuckles returned to a natural pink. Dinah let out a loud shout of victory while Normani gave her head a violent shake as if to rid herself of the drinks sting.

“Another!” Dinah choked out between chuckles and we repeated the routine once more. 

“Alright alright, Mani needs to move! Let's go!” I couldn’t help but crack a smile as I followed my bouncy best friends into the living room where the lights painted the walls and furniture with patterned bright greens, blues, and pinks. Before I could even glance toward the fireplace Dinah pulled me into a twirl and we began moving to the beat of the music. We giggled and spun until a couple of songs ran their course and Mani dragged her off to the kitchen for another round I opted out of, leaving me swaying back and forth in the middle of the hot packed living room. 

Make it stop

So so good I just can’t take no more

The lights began to shift slowly blooming in and out of seemingly random locations temporarily filling the space with light.

Turn it down, turn it up, I don’t know

I don’t know

A slow beam of light grew to reveal a tall dark-haired girl standing at the edge of the couch with a black leather jacket laid over the cushions before the room went dark once more.

But don’t stop, don’t move, just keep it there

Keep it right there

Keep it right there

Another beam of light lit up the girl again. This time she was walking towards me through the green light ghosting her hand over the back of the couch and then blackness surrounded again.

I wanna put you on repeat 

Play you everywhere I go 

Play you everywhere I go

A stream of blue lit up the carpet under my feet and I looked up when a pair of unfamiliar buckled boots entered the circle. As soon as my eyes scaled the body and landed on her emerald orbs, eyelashes casting light shadows on her cheeks, the light was gone and so was she.

Wanna put this song on replay 

I could listen to it all day 

I can listen to you all day

Hear you all day

Yea

A pair of hands found their way to my waste lightly grazing them there and I let my body fall slightly back into her before she could change her mind. 

I wanna put this song on replay

We could start all over again

And again 

Wanna put this song on replay

I could feel her hot breath on my neck and I let my head roll back slightly into hers while we swayed to the thumping bass that seemed amplified by the pounding in my veins. I couldn’t see her but I swear I could feel her there. 

 

Don’t stop

Turn it on, turn it up, make it louder

I don’t wanna miss a single thing

I wanna hear every melody 

 

One of her hands moved up to my shoulder, pulling back the dark waves and brushing aside white fabric, fingers ghosting over the skin there and trailing down my side before resting back onto my hip. Swinging to the beat, another bloom of pink blossomed just out of our reach and kept us in the dark once more.

B-b-b-b-beating, beating

Beating so loud, you can feel it

Beating for you

The chorus pounded through the walls once more but this time something was different, colder almost. Another bright ray of light lit up the floor under my feet once more exposing me to the rest of the room. I spun around but the hands that held me close just a moment ago had disappeared and I was alone once again. I almost wondered if it was a dream or an effect of the alcohol coursing through my veins. But the effect of the dark-haired girls touch still lingered on my sides never letting me shake the feeling of her hot breath on my neck and her grip on my hips. 

The song came to a close and the lights came to a slow dim one could manage to navigate through. I started pushing through the crowd in search of Dinah or Normani but no such luck. Suddenly I felt a cold hand grip onto my wrist and spin me around.

“Austin!” I released a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding when I came face to face with the mop-headed boy. He had a twisted grin on his face that stretched from ear to ear and made his hazy eyes impossibly small. 

“Sorry, Camilla I din’t mean to skare you there!” He chuckled and sarcastically through his hands in the air as if to surrender. I rolled my eyes and he took a step closer, his alcohol ridden breath invading my nose.

“Hey, I waz wundering if maybe youuuuuu wanted to dance with me.” His words slurred and his breath was hot against me now. I took a step back and found myself cornered against the couch. 

“No Austin I’m good thanks though.” I turned my head away from him to see if I could spot my friends but instead, I captured a few stares from strangers close by and across the room. Still no one moved to help me. 

“Well then maybe you would want to go upstairz for some alone time.” His hand moved to my waste leaving a sick feeling in my stomach. I went to step from under him when his hand caught my wrist and pulled me into him tightly.

“Austin please stop!” I shouted and the music seemed to dim slightly but still, nobody moved, deciding to keep to themselves. I pushed a hand against his chest and squeezed my eyes shut as a last-ditch effort, falling forward a little when no resistance was met. I opened my eyes to see Austin pressed against the wall opposite of me with a hand around his neck. The lights were in full effect now and there was nowhere to hide in the crowd's silence and stares. 

“I swear to god if you ever even think about touching her again I will cut your balls off with a spoon and shove them down your throat.” Lauren hissed as Austin gave a few last kicks of resistance only to have the dark haired girl's grip tighten around him. 

“Do you understand!” She shouted, green eyes blazing like fire through the useless boy until all he could do was nod. She let go of him suddenly and he dropped to the floor gasping and holding his neck. Without a word or even a glance my direction, she stepped over to the couch to retrieve her jacket and then continued her strut to the door. All eyes were on us and not a sound could be heard besides Austin’s distant panting. She stopped at the large door frame and turned her emerald eyes on me. Suddenly everyone else faded away and before my brain could make the same mistake again my heart carried me to her side, my hand slipping into hers. 

“Wanna get out of here?” She whispered.


	4. What Was I Thinking

If you strapped me down to an electric chair with every rope from here to Atlanta and threaten to throw me in the middle of the ocean I still wouldn't be able to tell you what the hell compelled me to follow her. Something about the way our fingers fell effortlessly between another, how unnecessary words became when we touched, the reassuring squeeze that unraveled every nerve in my being from my fingers to my toes. Her stare was electric and I was stunned. Everything was a blur from the moment her eyes found mine too when my hands became burdened with the weight of a large black helmet. 

Wait. 

I paused and glanced down at the object puzzled then shifted my eyes to the sleek black bike in front of us. Lauren stopped a few steps ahead and stared with an equally questioning expression, “Something wrong Cabello?”

In all honesty, I had never ridden a motorcycle before. Hell, I had hardly ever seen one. Sure a couple of the boys at school would test the strong arm of the law and ride their dirt bikes to school but a bike like this was unheard of around the little conservative town we were in. 

My mother would kill me.

“I uh... ummm...” I drummed my fingers on the hard plastic sucking my bottom lip between my teeth, trying to look in any other direction than the tall girl directly in front of me.

“You’ve never ridden on a bike have you?” An involuntary glance at the dark haired girl sporting a single raised eyebrow and a quiet smirk playing on the edge of her lips sent a fresh wave of heat through every muscle as I quickly cut my gaze back to a neighboring mailbox. 

“And I bet your parents would kill you if they ever found out, huh?” I simply nodded looking at her fully now. Her smirk grew into a full-blown challenge that itched at my skin and sent curiosity reeling, the irritation only spreading to my cheeks as her shoulders fell in a careless shrug and her leg swung over to mount the surely forbidden machine. My knuckles turned white for what must have been the thousandth time that night as she held her hand out to retrieve the helmet, “Come on princess safety first.” 

Without a word, before I could let logic and seventeen years worth of parenting get the best of me, I grabbed a hold of the stainless white bow and threw it carelessly onto the pavement thrusting the helmet over my head and swinging one leg over the bike just as Lauren had done. 

“Alrighty then!” She said playfully as my arms wrapped around her torso with the force of an anaconda strangling its prey, “You know we haven’t started moving yet.” She choked out and I begrudgingly loosened my grip just enough to allow oxygen flow.  
The green-eyed girl shook her head and let out a small chuckle under her breath. I could almost imagine the softest grin playing across her razor-sharp features as I adjust myself to mold into her world. But suddenly the monster kicks to life with a deafening roar that sends us flying down the street in one fatal swoop. My eyes snap shut, jaw clenched, sending a silent prayer to who ever's up there that the night wouldn’t end until I figured out why the hell I jumped on the back of this bike. 

I dare open my eyes to see the bright lights of downtown flashing by in streams of yellows. The buildings were tall and looming over the wide perfectly paved streets. I couldn't remember the last time I had been in the city. My parents were never interested in the fast pace and strange smells of the city, leaving me a stranger, hanging on the fringes of the last small suburban county in the Denver Metroplex. People were everywhere and I could imagine myself and Lauren being amongst them. Exploring the dark alley and stairways, seeing what left unlocked doors had to offer. 

Slowly the buildings began to shrink, the lights began to dim, and people came few and far between. It had felt like we had been riding for five minutes tops but the chain link fences and large cracks scoring through all directions of the pavement said we were far from home. Lauren weaved expertly in and out of obstructions and took a sudden right turn before coming to a slow stop in front of a small house. A single street lamp standing a few yards away provided just enough light to make out the shutters hanging at a sharp slant on its hinges and exposing the white exterior that showed years of weathering through harsh Colorado winters. The silence sent a shiver down my spine and with any sense I would have taken flight but we've proved by now any logic has been thrown to the wolves. As her hand slips into mine the short trip up the jagged stairway to the handleless door, surely supported by nothing more than a string on the other side, doesn't seem so bad. 

"What are we doing here?" I don't dare to speak above a whisper for fears unknown. 

"Dropping something off for a friend." You couldn't place a bet on which would break down first, my heart or the door as the ever mysterious girl gave it a few soft taps in a playful rhythm. 

"JAUREGUI!" The frail red door flew open breaking my string theory and the oxygen flow to my brain. I let out a small yelp unsuccessfully dropping on to the floor only to find myself hanging a few inches from the concrete in Lauren's leather-clad arms. 

"Wow, she's a jumpy one huh? Is this the girl you were telling us about?" I glanced up at the tall boy hanging on the door frame. His shaggy black hair stood up and curved to the right in a seamless crashing wave and his smile was wide and genuine, fully encasing his light brown eyes. 

"Shut up Zayn," Lauren mumbled under her breath and started pulling me from the floor.

"Hi! I'm Zayn! And you are?" His long arm extended towards me as I scrambled to my feet and dusted the dirt off my knees.

"Camila." I smiled finally and gave the boy the firmest handshake I could muster. 

"Nice grip there!" He chuckled and released my hand motioning for us to follow him inside.

"She's just showing off." Lauren smiled as I feign disbelief and she gave me a small push into the house.

There were no lights inside of the house rather candles lined the dusty mantles and windows in the small living room. The inside was just as worn as the outside but something about the faded walls felt warm and inviting. There were sleeping bags rolled up and placed along the walls, maybe ten or twelve of them in the living room alone all with a name scribbled in black marker across the front, but no couches or chairs were to be seen. The kitchen was just as bare. All of the faded brown cabinets were riddled with fingerprints along their edges where the dust was disturbed by fingers searching for food. Zayn continued to lead us through the house and out the back door all the while making small talk with Lauren about someone named Harry stealing the neighbor's newspaper again. 

As soon as we stepped outside it was a different world. Small decorative lights were strung across the fences and over the back yards entirety, powered by a small generator off in the corner. Boys littered the back yard. Some small, some tall, brown hair, blonde hair, light skin, dark skin, the only thing any of them had in common physically was their skinny demeanor. A small fire was going steady in the center of the yard with some of the boys hovered around it with blankets and guitars. 

“Hey, guys! Look who decided to show up!” Everyone's head snapped towards us and let out a collective shout in Lauren’s name before jumping to their feet and rushing towards us. One of the taller boys scooped her up into a bear hug, his muscles becoming defined as he gave her a gentle squeeze. 

“Hey, there stranger! Its been a while.” He kissed her excitedly on the cheek before setting her down and shooting a toothy grin. Suddenly my jealous rage from earlier began to seep back into my ears and cheeks. I loudly cleared my throat and some of the boys started to take notice of my presence.

“Boys, Louis, this is Camila.” The smallest smile crept into the edges of her mouth before it disappeared once again, taken hostage by her token neutral mask. 

“She’s a lot prettier than I thought she would be!” One of the boys shouted from the back of the group and the others mumbled in agreement.

“Yea not bad Jauregui.” The tall boy turned toward me now and suddenly pressed me tight against his hard chest, “I’m Louis it's nice to meet you!” 

A loud smack echoed through the yard as Louis snapped back in surprise at the sudden force and let out a small yelp, “What was that for!”

“Sorry Camila, Louis doesn’t understand personal space.” Louise’s eyebrows scrunched together as he ran a hand through his light brown hair pushing it back into place from where it had fallen in the encounter. 

“My bad.” The boy mumbled and looked down at the dirt slightly embarrassed.

“Its cool no worries.” I flashed him a small genuine smile which he graciously returned, all rage from before dissipating as Lauren’s hand found mine once again.

“Actually Zayn we can’t stay for long I just wanted to drop something off.” She pulled a small white envelope from her back pocket and handed it to Zayn while everyone seemingly uninterested in its contents went back to their previous activities. 

“Are you sure Ren?” The dark haired girl simply nodded, “I’ll be back soon.” 

“Whoa, guys it looks like the party is leaving. Are we too late to schedule an appointment with Miss Jauregui?” His voice dripped like venom onto my skin and made every hair stand on end. The dark figure stepped out of the back doorway and into the light of the patio his eyes were hollow with dark circles sinking into the skin under them. All around me I could feel the boys rising slowly as Lauren shifted to stand in front of me. His dirty blonde hair stuck out in every direction while his lips curved in a villainous smile. 

“What do you want Michael.” Lauren spat through gritted teeth and I almost pitied the boy on the other end of her paralyzing glare. 

“Oh, we just came for a little fun sweetheart.” He took a step forward and moved his hand to graze Lauren’s cheekbone. 

“DON’T TOUCH HER!” I screamed suddenly finding myself in front of the girl, I closed my eyes shut tight as my hand made contact with the strangers face. A slow sting spreading through my palm and fingers. Suddenly three more figures emerged from the shadows of the door frame standing silently behind the ghostly boy. 

I dared to open my eyes for the second time that night to see the boys shocked expression twist into anger. I spun around coming face to face with Lauren’s own wide-eyed expression painted over her face. As soon as she recovered a small smile accompanied by a reassuring wink was thrown my way as she moved me behind her and closer to Zayn. 

“Are you crazy!” He whispered into my ear holding on tight to my shoulders as if I could spring again without warning. 

“How about you get the fuck out of my house and we settle this the fair way,” Lauren growled at the greasy haired boy. His eyes sparkled at the ring of a challenge and I couldn’t help but think that's the most alive he’s probably ever looked. Seriously this kid looked like he had been dug up a couple of hours before stumbling before us.

“Lauren Jauregui a girl after my own heart,” He dramatically swooned, “Are you suggesting we race?”

“What?!” Zayn quickly slapped a large hand over my mouth when everyone's stares turned to me. 

They aren’t suggesting what I think they are suggesting. 

“Out front. Now.” With that, the dark strangers turned heel and made their descent through the house and onto the front steps as we all silently followed closely behind them. 

“Alright, the rules are simple and must be followed!” A shorter boy who had been around the fire when we first arrived stood tall on the mailbox now shouting excitedly to everyone in the street. 

“The racers will jump on their bikes, make their way down the street, round the empty lot, down the back alleyway, and back to the mailbox. Whoever comes in last must give the winner their shoes!” He shouted his long dark wavy blonde hair falling into his eyes. 

Who are these people?

“Really Harry?” Louis rolled his dark brown eyes and shook his head. 

The pair quickly mount their bikes and I doubt they heard Harry at all. The anxiety must have been evident across my features because Zayn threw a strong comforting arm around my shoulders. Suddenly he grabbed my hand and dragged me into the house.

“Wait, Zayn! I want to watch the race! Where are we going!?”

“You’ll see!” He smiled and we flew up the staircase skipping every other step until we slid onto the top floor and arrived at an open window. The boy fearlessly pulled himself through the window and disappeared somewhere above it. 

“Wait!” I shoved my head out the window to see Zayn looking down at me.

“Well come on do you want to watch or not?!” I swallowed hard and took a hold of his extended hand allowing him to pull me through the window and onto the roof. 

From here we could see the entire course Harry had laid out and the more I looked the worse I felt about all of it. The large canyons in the street made it challenging for one rider and impossible for two. The streets were far too narrow and jagged for both to navigate the path safely but I figure that's kinda the point. Nothing with Lauren seemed easy at all. 

“Three!” Harry shouted at the top of his lungs.

Crap crap crap!

“Two!” 

Wait!

“LAUREN!” I shouted above the engines and she turned to me for the briefest moment. Even from this distance, I could see the sparkle in her eyes. This is where she thrived. With a simple wink, she thrust the helmet on her head and turned her eyes back to the mangled pavement.

“One!” 

With that they took off, bobbing and weaving through the street. Lauren’s sleek black bike molding in with the pavement till I could hardly make out the white shirt underneath the leather jacket. The pair were side by side, Michaels red beast threatening to push the dark haired girl off the street entirely. With one sharp turn, Lauren slid around the corner successfully cutting the boy off, leaving him in a trail of dust picked up from the empty lot. As she made her way down the alley disappearing into the darkness without a single light. We could just make out the flaming red bike as he chased after a ghost bobbing and weaving until he too was suddenly out of site.

“Zayn.” My voice stressed and threatened to break as the anxiety came crashing back full force wracking my entire body. But he remained motionless and silent. 

“Zayn.” A little louder now my throat strained and tears threatened to escape.

“Zayn!” Suddenly Lauren’s black bike came roaring around the corner and took flight off of a large fault in the pavement. It landed with a threatening thud and I thought my lungs were going to collapse when the bike began to swerve violently from side to side. My body fell into autopilot as I scrambled down the roof, swung myself through the open window, and stumbled down the staircase, barreling through the front door.

When I finally made it to the street Lauren’s bike was idle and waiting while Michael was left kicking his, now lying on its side a few yards from the mailbox. The tall girl pulled the helmet from her head and all I could do was stare as her dark waves fell over her shoulders and brushed against the edge of her lips. There was cheering all around as the boys held down Michael and snatched the shoes right off his feet, but none of that really mattered to me. All I could see was Lauren holding the helmet out to me with one of those come and get me grins. And just like that with a bullet, we were gone again.


	5. We Can Stay Young Forever

The city lights seemed to be burning brighter, the buildings growing taller as we made our way back into the city, eyes wide open taking it all in without the blindfold of fear. The nighttime crowds were in full swing now, the night creeping on eleven, making their way from bar to bar, venue to venue. A swift dark turn into the maze of back alleys left us the only two people in the shadows of the looming bricks above. One right turn, a corner to the left, and three blocks ahead left us standing in front of a rusted iron fire escape leading to a small worn door hanging six feet off the ground. I quickly run a hand through newfound helmet hair, struggling to shake the life back into the dark curls when I feel the heat of Lauren’s emerald gaze creeping up my cheeks. 

“What death trap have you drove us into this time?” I followed with a loud clearing of my throat to break the tall girls stare. 

“Awe come on Cabello are you telling me you aren’t having fun? I can take you back to the maniacs mansion if that's what you want.” Her lips curled into a wide grin as she tossed a thumb behind her, already knowing the answer.

I rolled my eyes and fought to suppress my own smile, lightly shaking my head at the girl, “So are you going to tell me what we are doing here?”

Her grin grew into a full-blown genuine smile, “Oh you’re going to like this one Cabello.” 

She shifted around me to stand directly under the fire escape and turned her attention my direction, “Ready?”

My jaw hung open slightly, “You want ME, to go up THERE, with you?” I motioned dramatically to the crumbling ladder. 

“Its fine I’ll be right behind you!” She stepped just close enough to grab a hold of my hand and pull me to her side.

“Behind me!?!?” I squealed as she shifted me in front of the ladder.

“Do you trust me?” She whispered, her breath hot on my neck, spinning my world a thousand times over until I couldn’t make out the task in front of me. All I could do was nod before a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me into the air until I could grab on to the first rung. The support shifted to my legs until I could climb the rest of the way to the platform. I picked one hell of a night to wear heels. 

Soon Lauren swung up onto the platform behind me causing the metal frame to shake and rattle emitting a loud creek sending me straight into Laurens toned arms for protection.

“You really are a jumpy one aren't you?” She mumbled against my shoulder soothing my nerves and releasing my koala grade grip on her upper torso. 

“Shut up.” I brushed the bunched up fabric covering my chest, “Let's go Jauregui!” 

I huffed and yanked the rusted metal door open with a little too much force causing me to stumble alone into the dark hallway. I spun around quickly to find Lauren almost nose to nose in tow. “After you Princess.” She said with a wink wrapping her fingers around mine. With one last playful shove, the dark haired girl closed the ancient door, careful not to make a sound, and let me lead us to god knows where. 

What started off as incoherent mumbling seeping through the walls grew louder and louder as we made our way down the small hall. Soon we could feel the bass rattling through our bones and melodic guitars filling the airwaves around us. An opening of light could be seen some feet ahead of us. As we got closer the music began to fade and a thundering clap swelled and crashed through the small space. The mumbling voice from moments before became clean and distinct as we hand in hand stepped into the light, “HEY DENVER!”

My eyes about fell out of my head as I took in the scene below us. A sea of people filled the ground beneath, dancing and cheering, shoulder to shoulder, all of their faces lit up by flashing purple and blue lights playing over the crowd. On the largely lit stage stood four boys holding multiple instruments, fiddling around as they wait for the tall man with sharp black hair to finish addressing the crowd. 

“How is everyone doing tonight?” He shouted again causing the crowd to roar and my hand to tighten around Lauren’s with anticipation. 

I couldn’t believe it. 

Were we actually here?

“I just wanted to give a big thank you to everyone who made the trip here tonight we are gonna TEAR IT UP!” The crowd screamed again echoing his enthusiasm as the other members await the signal to start the next song.

“And for those of you who may have accidentally stumbled in here tonight and have no idea who these bumbling idiots are…” He drawled and a few laughs could be heard through the venue, “WE. ARE. FALL OUT BOY!” 

With that, the drums kicked back to life and the band fell into full swing. I turned to Lauren, her face dimly lit by the lights below, her smile spread from ear to ear fully encasing her eyes. Dinah would have been proud as I let my self scream and jump up and down in excitement. I turned back to the stage and Lauren and I danced through the entire set. I was impressed she knew most of the words to all of the songs and lost myself in the way her eyes sparkled as she carelessly danced in circles singing as loud as she could. 

After an hour or so the music died down one more time and Pete approached his microphone, “You guys have been fantastic!” 

The crowd cheered all knowing what was coming.

“But this.” He paused. 

“This is our last song. And this?” He paused again and not a sound could be heard through the entire venue. And for the briefest moment I could have sworn he looked straight up at us.

“This ones for you.”

I don’t know where you’re going, but do you have room for one more troubled soul?

My eyes shot to Lauren my mouth falling open for what must have been the millionth time that night. She just smiled a small genuine smile and looked back to the stage shyly. That wink was meant for us. It was meant for me.

I don’t know where I’m going but I don’t think I’m coming home

And I said I’ll check in tomorrow if I don’t wake up dead

This is the road to ruin

And we’re starting at the end

Say yes

I grabbed her hand and spun her around. Her eyes danced with mine never breaking contact as we spun and sang along. This meant more. This was our song.

Let's be alone together

We can stay young forever 

Scream it from the top of your lungs, lungs, lungs

Say yea

Let's be alone together 

We could stay young forever

We’ll stay young, young, young, young, young

She pulled me close for the verse, foreheads pressed together swaying back and forth, offbeat in our own little world.

You cut me off. I lost my track

It’s not my fault, I’m a maniac

It's not funny anymore, no it’s not

My heart is like a stallion 

They love it more when it's broken 

Do you wanna feel beautiful?

Do you wanna? 

Yea

The beat started to pick up again, my heart racing as she starts to lean in. 

I’m outside the door, invite me in

So we can go back and play pretend

Her nose brushes mine, breath hot on my lips. 

I’m on deck, yea, I’m up next 

Tonight I’m high as a private jet

A wild smile broke across her face as the chorus crashed over us shattering our trance and sending her running blindly down the narrow hallway with me in hand, laughing as if no one in the world could hear her, not a soul but my own. The melody trailed us down the tunnel until it was a mere whisper at our feet. We came barreling carelessly out of the frail door causing a loud crash as the metal collided with the rickety rail but that couldn’t break us out of our giddy haze. Lauren slid down the ladder and awaited my clumsy decent. My heart stopped for a pure millisecond when my last heel slipped on the rusty rung sending me safely into the tall girl's arms once again. 

“Awww my shoe!” I pouted surveying the severed heel.

“Ummm Camz we might have a bigger problem on our hands.” She giggled lightly. I spun around and my eyes widened as they came face to face with police headlights. The dark haired girl tossed the useless shoe aside and thrust the helmet over my head, my bangs creating a successful blindfold to our sticky situation. I quickly shook off the other heel and jumped barefoot behind Lauren onto the bike. The monster roared to life in seconds and in a few more we were a couple of blocks away with red and blue lights bouncing off the buildings around us. We slid into on to the main road, knees threatening to kiss the pavement as we joined traffic. I dared a glance back to see the cop car hard on our heels.

“Lauren!” I shouted, fear riddling my voice.

“Close your eyes, Camila!” 

I did as instructed and squeezed my eyelids shut. I could feel the sharp jerk deep in my gut as Lauren maneuvered through traffic. We were moving side to side the tall girls steering becoming more erratic and sudden than before. I shot one more look behind us to find the bright lights barley peeking on the edge of my vision. Its when I turned forward that I immediately regretted it. 

We were swimming against oncoming traffic, dogging and cutting quickly through bright headlights aimed directly at us. Loud horns were sounding all around us but everything seemed to slow down. The lights weren’t coming at us quite as fast as before, the loud horns seemed like a whisper as Lauren shot us straight through the traffic and into another dark path. Out of site. We rode a little longer before pulling into a parking spot just outside the large glass window that wrapped around a small diner. I jumped off the bike and threw the helmet at Lauren who just stood with an unreadable expression playing along her features. 

“WHAT WAS THAT JAUREGUI!?!?” I shouted letting all of my fear and anxiety from that night come spilling out in the practically empty lot. 

“You mean me saving your ass?” Her mask began creeping back into place sending a shiver across my arms. Then again it is the middle of October in Colorado but this sort of cold that Lauren emitted was different. It was dark in the way winter caused you to never dare a step outside in fear of freezing to death on the way to the mailbox. Still, I pushed further.

“My ass wouldn’t need saving if it wasn’t for you!” Immediate regret shadowed over me as her eyes sunk for the briefest moment before glazing over. I sighed heavily, shedding the rest of my fear. 

“In fact, if it wasn’t for you I would probably be sitting alone in some drunk ass holes bathroom waiting for everyone to go away.” That spark in her eyes returned as they met mine, “Even though you scare the living hell out of me you’re still the best thing that's happened in a while.”

She bit her bottom lip causing a swarm of butterflies to take over my abdomen before shifting her eyes around me and breaking out into a smile that could light up New York City after dark all on its own. 

“Welllll are you hungry Cabello?” She finally met my gaze again and I lost my breath for a minute, not that I could let her know.

“We just got chased by the police, crashed a concert, participated in a street race, and lets not even begin to mention the number of buildings I've had to scale today, and you want to grab breakfast?”

“Makes you hungry doesn’t it? Adventure?” She winked and I rolled my eyes, allowing her to lead us into the diner.

“Booth for two, girls?” A small dark-skinned woman with short hair pulled into a tight bun stood before us. Her eyebrows shot up in recognition when her eyes looked up to the tall girl at my side, “Lauren! Aren’t you a sight or sore eyes. I thought you’d be dead by now!.”

Lauren lightly shook her head with a small smile, “Nope! Still kickin.” 

“Uh huh.” She gave Lauren a quick once over with a raised eyebrow before turning her attention to me, “And who is this beautiful lady here?” 

My cheeks picked up temperature as the dark, “Suzanne this is Camila.” 

“Well hi there beautiful!” She drawled with a deep southern accent, “Let's get the two of you fed! Y’all are nothin but skin and bones with a pretty face.”

Lauren mouthed a ‘sorry’ my way but I couldn’t imagine why. It seemed like everywhere we went someone knew the mysterious girl. We scooted into respective sides of the booth and thanked Suzanne as she went to get our drinks. I studied how expressive Lauren’s eyebrows were as she skimmed over the menu in front of her.

“You won't find the specials on my forehead Cabello.” She stated with a small smile while I tried to hide the blush spreading across my cheeks with the faded yellow menu.

“Alrighty, are you girls ready to order?” The small woman placed our drinks on the table and pulled out a small pad of paper. Lauren raised her eyebrow expectantly to which I replied with a shrug and snap of my laminated menu.

She simply rolled her eyes and cleared her throat, “I’ll just have my usual.” 

“Alright two eggs over easy, two sides of sausage, one side of hash browns, and hold the pancakes.” She finished giving the pad a good stab with the pen before turning back to me. 

“I uh… I’ll take the french toast actually.” I mumbled still processing Lauren’s order.

“Bacon or sausage sweetie?” 

“Bacon would be awesome!” I said with a smile and with that she made her way to the kitchen.

“Sooooooo…” I drawled tapping my fingers on the table, “You aren’t a pancake fan huh?”

Her eyebrows scrunched together in disgust, “No way. They turn to mush when syrup gets introduced to the table.” 

I giggled softly, “I couldn’t agree more.” 

Soon our food was brought to the table and we talked and laughed between mouthfuls about our run-in with the cops and how amazing it would be if Fall Out Boy and Paramore ever went on tour together. When the time came around she paid for both of our meals and we said goodbye to Suzanne, stepping out into the cold. I let out a quick breath and watched it fade into the darkness wrapping my arms around myself or warmth. 

There was no way I would survive another round on the bike from hell.

“Here.” The dark girl shook off her leather jacket and held it out to me. I stared at it for a moment debating if I should leave her to freeze instead, “Seriously I'm good I like the cold.”

I smiled and took the jacket from her, slipping an arm into either end, “You know usually people only pay for meals and brace the cold for someone when they’re on a date or something.” 

“Then I guess we’re on a date then.” She hummed and I linked my arm through hers as we walked through the empty lot.

“Most interesting date I’ve been on yet.” 

“Oh,” She paused and turned her emerald eyes on me, “It’s not over yet Cabello.” 

I just stared at her for a moment trying to determine what other adventures she could send us on next, “Lauren its three am where else is even open?!” 

“You’ll see Camz.” She grabbed my hand and we were off.

…

An hour-long drive left us standing on the edge of what seemed like forever. Just Lauren and I with the world beneath our feet. Lauren led me to the edge of the mountain where we sat and dangled our feet over the sharp edge. The city lights were the only evidence of life in the quiet early hours of the morning.

“It's beautiful up here.” I whispered breaking our comfortable silence, “How did you find it?”

“I do a lot of hiking. The mountains make it easier to breathe sometimes.” Even as she sat in front of me now I could tell she was more relaxed here where she could rid herself of the cold mask I’ve been slowly chipping away. A few moments of sweet silence went by before curiosity got the best of me.

“So, can I ask you a question?” She hummed in response for me to continue.

“Who were those boys and what did you give Zayn?” I twisted my hands anxiously half not expecting her to answer at all. 

Finally, she cleared her throat, “They are runaways. Kids who have abusive families that didn’t want to be trapped in the system.”

I nodded my head lightly, “And the envelope?” 

“Hey, now I can’t tell you all of my secrets can I?” She smiled and winked at me, “Now I get to ask you a question. Why did you come with me?” 

It was my turn to fall silent this time. Because in all honesty that's what we’ve all be asking isn't it? 

“My whole life has been spent in that town right there.” I replied pointing to a small water tower just visible over the tall pines in the distance, “My whole life I’ve lived on the same street, known the same people, done the same things, walked the same paths. That is until the day you walked through the door. You were the adventure I had been waiting for, craving for. Everything about you is different and dangerous and I had made the mistake of not taking that chance once… There was no way I was going to let you walk out the door again. Not without me.” 

A hand brushed against my face, slowly demanding my gaze to the girl beside me. The rising sun danced off of her emerald eyes willing me to lean closer, her hand still on my cheek. I swallowed the nervous lump sprouting in my throat. And I swear if you took my pulse right now it would feel just like a sledgehammer. As she leaned into me and our lips finally molded together a huge weight fell off my chest and I could have flown away right there. Soon my hands were tangled in her dark waves while hers gripped onto my sides as if I really could float away if she didn’t hold on tight. Every movement of her lips on mine sent my nerves on fire and in that moment I knew exactly why I jumped on that bike and I swore I’d never get off. 

She pressed her forehead against mine and whispered breathlessly with a small smile, 

“Wanna get out of here?”


	6. Where Have You Been?

I didn’t have to put much thought as to where exactly it was I was going. I had walked the same streets over and over, back and forth, up and down. There was even a set of footprints pressed into the sidewalk where Dinah and I had watched and waited in the bushes for the workers to leave their project so we could make our mark in the wet cement. I have walked down this street a thousand times but never like this. Never with a smile this soft or hair so wild with the mixed scent of pines and exhaust. Never with adventure still clinging to my bare heels as they met the cold pavement or the warmth of mystery wrapped around my shoulders. 

I was thankful my body knew the way so religiously because my brain was still on the edge of that mountain with soft pink lips pressed against my own and butterflies beating against my chest. Besides the lingering sensation left in my veins, I thought of all the unanswered questions still floating between us. Where had Lauren come from? I had been here my whole life and never seen anything that could compare to those emerald eyes. How did she meet Zayn and the other boys piled up in the crumbling house past the broken chain link fences of downtown? But more importantly who was Lauren Jauregui? After spending what felt like an eternity bundled up into one crazy night I still knew little of her. Besides her obvious compulsion to run off into the night or blatantly ignore danger all together the only thing I really knew was that she was different. Unique in a way no one else seemed to be in this little town and I couldn’t help but hope maybe she saw something like that in me. Something different than the pretty girl, who wears pretty bows, and lives in the little blue house just down the road. 

Before I knew it my feet had brought me home. Standing at the base of the walkway leading up to the crisp white door I tug tightly at the soft black leather of Lauren’s jacket. She had insisted on dropping me off closer but I figured showing up at six am with no shoes or explanation as to where exactly I had been was enough without adding the perfect stranger on a motorcycle into the mix. 

So instead she smiled at me softly and shook her head as I began to shrug off her jacket, “Keep it. It looks better on you anyways.” 

I had simply nodded before she spared me a wink and kicked the bike to life, disappearing around the corner. The moment seems like it breathed ages ago as I make my way to the door wishing I could have hopped right back on and wrapped my arms around the dark-haired girl's waist rather than deal with the firing squad of questions and scolding sure to strike me down once I entered. 

I open the door as quietly as silently as possible but to no avail, a loud creek followed by a thundering click echoed through the home soon followed by the rushing of feet. 

Too many feet…

How many people were-

“KARLA CAMILA CABELLO WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN.”

My jaw hung open slightly as Dinah and Normani stood before me with a fire in their eyes kindled by worry and fear. Expecting to see my mother on the front lines I had not prepared to face my friends quite yet. No instead I see my mother leaning against the wall leading into the kitchen shaking her head and squinting silently at the scene in front of her.

“We were worried sick about you Mila,” It was Normani’s turn now but she didn't scream like Dinah. Instead, her voice hung low and demanding crawling under my skin making me feel about two inches tall, “We are gone for ten minutes and we come back to Austin shaking like a leaf and people saying you ran off with some girl no ones ever even seen.” 

I squeezed my eyes shut at the mention of Austin and the mansion. This wasn’t necessarily a conversation I wanted to have in front of my mother, “I can explain all of that.”

Dinah's face said it all. There was no way I was getting away with slipping around the subject of my whereabouts so I sighed deeply accepting defeat. Hopefully, if I told them what started it all my mother would spare me for the rest of the night's events. I made my way to the living room and sat down on the couch willing it to suck me into its cushions to escape their stares. 

“Go on Mila.” My mother said patiently after everyone took their respective seats. 

I told them all what happened at the mansion. How Austin had a little too much to drink and wouldn’t let me go. How one brave girl stood up while the rest of the party watched passively as I struggled to escape the obviously unwanted attention. I went straight for the concert skipping over the part about Lauren challenging a zombie to a street race and sliding over our run-in with the cops opting to tell them about the diner and watching the sun creep up over the mountains and spill over Denver. 

They seemed to be pleased enough as they let their rigid spines relax and shoulders drop from their defensive positions. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t call to let you know I was alright.” I trained my eyes on my toes as they wiggled through the strands of carpet, “It all happened so fast I didn’t have time to grab anything.”

“Not even your shoes?” Dinah smirked and I could tell she was teasing now, all of the fire resolved to its usual soft embers.

My mother shook her head and began to rise from the couch, “I am thankful for this girl whoever she is but do not expect to make a habit out of this mija.” 

I nodded as she continued making her way to the coffee pot in the kitchen still visible through the cut out over the bar, “Now it has been a long night for all of us so the three of you try and get some rest. We leave for church in two hours.” 

“Mami!” She cannot be serious. Norman's eyes looked like they were about to pop right out of her head and Dinah fell back into the couch with an exasperated groan as if all of the strength had been sucked out of her body.

“Shush Mija! Maybe you and your friends will think more carefully next time you go strolling into a party without permission.” 

I closed my eyes tight and pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers. 

This could not be happening.  
. . .

The rest of the weekend went by without incident. Dinah fell asleep in the pew, hiding her closed eyes behind one of those large black hats Audrey Hepburn probably wore in the sixties and only stirred when Normani threw an elbow in the tall girl's side to get her to stop snoring. Though no one in the church seemed to notice, they were all in their own little world with no one paying any particular attention to the sermon its self. Part of me hoped to spot Lauren sitting a few rows back with her piercing green eyes looking somewhere ahead but nowhere in particular, all at once as the rest of us did. Then again Lauren was not like the rest of us and so she was not sitting anywhere amongst the rows of so-called believers.

As the day flew by and night closed and Monday crept closer and closer thoughts of seeing the girl who spun around my head relentlessly. I guess you could call it obsessive. I haven’t even gone a day without seeing her since we kissed above the city yet all I wanted to do was talk to her. Watch as her razor like features flicker with the slightest emotion that I was sure to be the only one to witness. Watch as her teeth held her bottom lip captive in concentration when being asked a question. Feel her hand tighten around mine for only an instant to silently tell me that everything was alright. One date and this girl had me wrapped so tightly around her finger it feels like I can't breathe and if oxygen was the sacrifice I would never breathe again. 

The weight of exhaustion finally took over. As my body sank under the covers my thoughts fled back to the mountain, to the street, to the concert, and finally to the diner where I’m staring at her across the table and the conversation never has to end.


	7. There's A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update for you guys from Laurens POV!
> 
> Warning there is violence/child abuse so proceed with caution.

Laurens pov.

“CAN’T YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP FOR ONCE.”

“YOU DON’T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO. WHY DON’T YOU GO TRY TO BOSS AROUND THAT LITTLE PLAY THING OF YOURS BECAUSE I’M NOT HAVING IT!”

“OH NICE ONE CLARA WAY TO AVOID THE ISSUE ONCE AGAIN.”

They are fighting again. I don’t know why I say again I should say continuing. Round two thousand four hundred and fifty-seven in the last eighteen years I would guess. The loud thud of the door colliding violently with its frame echos through the wide empty halls followed by the clicking of heels leading up from the corridor to the large stone staircase. Fifteen more steps and she would be right at my door.

One, two, three.

“LAUREN!”

Four, five, six.

Click, click, click against the smooth marble, each heel landing a punch to my heart.

Seven, eight, nine.

“LAUREN I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!”

Ten, eleven, twelve.

Please just keep walking, Christ just keep walking.

“LAUREN!”

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

Fifteen.

The door handle shakes violently before the door is thrown into the wall, ricocheting off of the door stop and rattling its hinges. 

“Get over here.” She hisses and grabs my arm throwing me onto the floor. 

I’ve prayed countless times to every god you could imagine. It was to the good Lord when my shoulders were being pushed to the bottom of the porcelain tub at the age of seven and to Zeus, while we were learning Greek mythology in eighth grade and there was so much blood in my eyes I couldn’t see my swollen fists in front of me. Hell, I even prayed to the devil himself when a three hundred degrees curling iron was rolled lazily across my rib cage just before winter formal my sophomore year. But none were ever answered and if anyone had been listening at all they obviously didn’t care. 

So instead I close my eyes as another swift kick makes its mark on my abdomen and think of a pretty girl in soccer shorts darting gracefully up and down the dewy field. 

I try and hold in a cough not wanting to give the monster any satisfaction but another lung-crushing blow send me sputtering and crawling across the floor to the door. I think of her chocolate brown eyes and the way they silently give away everything she’s thinking while leaving a sort of mystery intact. As if I know everything and nothing about her all at once.

“Where do you think you’re going!” The monster roars yanking the lamp from my nightstand and hurling it into my back. The cool marble soothes my throbbing face and for a moment I can close my eyes and get lost again before she’s grabbing my collar and throwing me against the wall.

My head crashes with a startling bang against the maroon covered walls and I’m curious as to whether or not she picked that color to cover up the blood. 

“You no good son of a bitch.” I can just make out her blurry figure taking slow steps toward me now with every angry intake of breath, “You are worthless just like your father.”

Her hand is clamped around my neck, her nose inches from mine with teeth clenched and snarling as she drags me up the wall, “If people didn’t ask so many questions I swear to Christ and the holy ghost I would snap your little neck right now.” 

And I knew she meant it. 

With one last adrenalin filled thrust, she sends me spinning down the stairs. My arms and legs struggle to find a hold on the iron railings and I’m left sliding across the polished floor after managing to roll off of every step. And I can’t tell if its wishful thinking or the devil decided to have mercy on me because the sharp ringing in my ears is replaced with the sound of Camila’s laugh leading me into the dark.


	8. Go Home Princess

Its been a week since I’ve seen Lauren anywhere. I’m starting to get tired of this disappearing act. Who drops a girl off at six in the morning with heels in hand and doesn’t even bother to shoot a text a couple of days later? 

A “Hey what's up?” or a “How about that police chase last weekend.” isn’t too much to ask for is it? Not that I could do anything if I wanted to. Mom has me on Sophi duty for another week as punishment for the whole fiasco which is one step above house arrest.

“Okay, but how do you think they knew people couldn’t breathe in space?” Dinah drummed her fingers along the edge of the desk quizzically, “Like how did they know we would need helmets and like space gear?” 

“They did like a bunch of tests and stuff,” Normani mumbles mindlessly scribbling down notes from the board.

“Okay but like what kind of tests? How do you test for oxygen? And if it isn’t oxygen how do they know it’s not some new substance that's better than oxygen?” She gasped and turned sharply in her seat causing a loud screech of metal to break through the classroom, “WHAT IF SPACE AIR GIVES US LIKE SUPERHUMAN POWERS BUT WE’RE TOO AFRAID TO TAKE OUR HELMETS OFF!”

Normani slammed her purple glitter pen down and hissed at her, “I don’t know Dinah maybe they tied a puppy to a balloon with a bunch of sensors and figured it out. I’m not a freaking scientist.” 

The tan girl's jaw went slack with possible tears collecting in the corners of her eyes at the thought of puppy space sacrifices.

“Ladies! Anything you want to share with the class?” The balding teacher called from the blackboard tapping his foot impatiently against the cold tile.

“No, Mr. Reed.” Normani rolled her eyes and went back to scribbling down the poorly sketched timeline. Mr. Reed was good at a lot of things, I’m sure, but diagrams and hair growth just aren't in his wheelhouse. 

“They didn’t really do that did they?” Dinah leaned over and whispered.

…

“Mila.”

…

“Mila!” She stressed.

…

“MILA!” 

The pure volume in her voice sent the pencil I had been resting against my eyebrow straight into my face leaving a surely impressive mark in its place. 

“AH! Jesus what the fu-“

“LADIES” 

Holy crap Mr. Clean looks like he’s about to explode.

“Sorry, Mr. Red!”

Oh shit, I did not just say that.

“I uh m-mean Mr. Reed.” 

His bald head looked more like an irritated zit that was ready to burst. He huffed and began passive-aggressively shouting for the rest of the lesson. I rub the sore spot just above the arch in my brow and feel eraser remanence ball up and fall onto the laminated desk. I’m so over this. I’m going to find her. 

“Psst Dinah.” The girl continued doodling a picture of what looks like a small spotted puppy with a space helmet and large balloons threatening to carry it away.

“Hey!”

She moves on to shading some of the balloons giving slight dimension to the page. I press my hand tightly against a sheet of paper and tear it off as quietly as possible. Not that you would hear it over Mr. Reds slapping of the ruler periodically over a poorly sketch boat supposedly once sailed by Columbus himself. 

“Pftffft What the!” One flick of the wrist and Dinah is flailing her hands around trying to block the already fired intrusion. 

Her eyes land on me with a sneer, “Oh now you want to talk!”

“Shhhhh you’re going to get us detention,” I whisper and lean in closer, “I need a favor.” 

The tan girl eyes me suspiciously and meets me half way between the space of our desks, “What kind of favor?” 

“This is only something I would trust with my very best friend. My ride or die. My other half. My Compadre. My Pers-“

“Get to it, Cabello.” 

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and the words rushed out with it, “Ineedyoutowatchsophisoicangodowntownandfindoutwherelaurenwent.”

She blinked a couple times and furrowed her brows, “North or South of the bridge?”   
“South.” I shut my eyes tight and sucked in my bottom lip. 

“You want to go South of the bridge by yourself?!?!” She hisses in disbelief, “You think I’m just going to let you go by yourself?”

“Dinah! I’ll be fine! I have friends there It’s not like I’ll be wandering down dark alleyways by myself.” 

“Oh! You have friends there? Funny.” She spins around in her chair and cocks her head, “Normani do you live South of the bridge?” 

“Nope.” The ebony girl popped otherwise ignoring our squabble. 

“Huh funny.” She spins around again to face me, “Looks like you don’t have any friends that live South of the bridge.” 

I roll my eyes and scoot closer, “Di listen this is important I have to find her.”

She looks at me hard for a moment in some internal debate before heaving a sigh and leaning back into the conversation, “Alright fine I’ll watch Sophi for the afternoon.”

“Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou Oh my god Dinah I owe you big time!”

“Yea yea yea. How are you going to get there anyway? You don’t have a car.”

“Right so I was thinking…” 

“Oh hell naw. You’ve got to be kidding me Mila.” 

I sucked in my bottom lip and gave her my best puppy dog eyes. The one I only save for special occasions.

“Cabello, do not give me the ice cream eyes!” 

Like I said special occasions.

“Ugh fine you can borrow Thomsons car but he’ll need it back by eight. Its dark night at the bowling alley and apparently he’s got a hot date.” 

“Yes! Thank you thank you thank you!” I throw my arms around her in what could easily be mistaken as a choke hold before suddenly grabbing her by the shoulders, “Wait. He’s not taking Becca Thurman, is he? I heard rumors she was on the hunt for some new man candy after Tony got benched last game.” 

She rolled her eyes, “ugh yes. I tried to tell him but-“

Dinah freezes mid-sentence as we both look down to see a single buckled black shoe tapping underneath us. We look up to see Mr. Reed with arms folded tightly over his chest like an angry giant, “Detention. Lunch. Both of you.” 

…

 

I’m not scared of the boys. In fact, I adore their Lost Boy -esque lifestyle, but they could live in a better neighborhood. The large buildings are coming few and far between and I can’t stop my hands from shaking more and more violently as the rusted chain-link fences rustle in the breeze. If you haven’t figured it out yet Lauren isn’t a big sharer so I really didn’t know where else to go or who else to ask. After circling what I hoped was the right neighborhood for twenty minutes or so the small houses cracked foundation came into view. 

I took a deep breath and steadied my hands on the wheel until my knuckles were white, “Alright Cabello here we go.” 

The fading daylight brought new details to the house. The handless shoe string door was the color of a faded red barn with swaying weathered shutters to match. The rest of the exterior was a light blue color that almost reminded me of my own little blue house minus the exposed wood where paint had been chipped away. I move to knock lightly on the door only to have it fly off of its hinges. Literally.

“Ahhh!” Jesus, I about jumped out of my skin.

“Oh. Oh jeez. Damn it. Damn it! Damn it! Zayn! Zayn!” A sandy-haired boy calls frantically into the house with hands on either side of his head shaking violently, “Zayn I did it again!” 

“Did what?” The familiar tall boy came into view rubbing his eyes.

“Awe man Harry!” He throws his head back with a groan, “I don’t have any more string! Louis’ left shoe was the last one with laces.” 

“Ahem, Umm excuse me? Boys?” 

They both turn my direction with a hint of confusion before a spark lights Harry’s eyes.

“Wait, wait, wait, can’t we talk about this?” 

Before I know it my ass is on the ground again while the sandy blonde haired boy pulls the laces from my high tops, “Hey! I kind of need those don’t you think!?” 

“Sorry kiddo you break it you fix it.” Zayn said with a slight smirk while rigging up the front door, “What are you doing here anyway, huh?”

“Yea aren’t you a little far from home Princess?” A familiar velvety voice called stepping out from the shadows of the dark corridor. 

For a moment it felt like all of the air had been knocked out of my lungs. Like someone had kicked a soccer ball straight into my gut and railed me into a goal post. As she steps out of the shadows the sun highlights deep navy bruises that stretched into purple and yellow gradients over her cheek and neck. A large pink gash cut through her brow with a slightly smaller one sitting across the bridge of her slender nose. She shifts slightly under my stare and refuses to allow my eyes to roam further once they make contact with her own green embers. And I can’t help but notice they burn a little less bright than they did on the mountain tops. 

“Lauren..” All I can do is choke out her name. Come on Cabello you came all the way over here say something. She’s just staring at me. She tempts to lift a brow before wincing and flaring her nostrils in anger. I need to say something and I need to do it fast because the boys have long since abandoned the door and I’m just sitting here with my jaw and skirt in the dirt. 

She shook her head and turned on her heel, “Go home princess.” 

“Wa- wait! Wait!” But it was pointless by the time I’m able to scramble to my feet she’s long gone and the door is left swinging in my face. Literally.

“Lauren I’m sorry!” I yell but nothing, “Lauren please I came down here to find you!”

Silence. No chattering from the boys. No guitars playing in the distance. Just the sound of a creaky door swaying back and forth and my foot falling through the floor. 

“Lauren!” I scream once more, stomping my foot down and straight through the rotten wood boards. 

Fuck fuck fuck. My shoe is completely gone now probably to be added to the nest of the worlds largest rat or something like that. I start trying to pull my ankle through the boards wincing every time the wood scratches the already torn skin. Small tears start to gather in the corner of my eyes and I let out one last whimper before dropping my head on my knee in defeat. I shouldn’t have come here. I shouldn’t have come for her.

“Hey there Princess.” His slimy voice sends chills down my spine as every hair stands on end in revolt, “Need a hand?”


	9. Dumb Enough Not To Care

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said before, this is a story I had a lot pre-written but we are on the new content train now and shit is off the rails. Wish us all luck and that we find a sense of direction.

Zayn lifts a cigarette to his mouth with a shaky hand. The wind drifting through the window, as he drives through the setting shadows of perfect little houses on a perfect little street, blows the bangs from his face revealing the fear he so desperately tried to mask as he placed me in the passenger seat of the car and fled the scene. 

I hope Dinah's brother doesn’t mind blood stains. 

The scene has played through my mind so many times that the initial edge has worn off. Instead of fretting over jail time or the fact that I just murdered someone, I keep getting stuck on the image of a white bow on the pavement one fateful night. 

I can’t help but think I left a lot of things behind that night. 

It feels like a century and a second all wrapped up in one car ride before we make it to Dinah's front door. 

He scoops me out of the car and let my feet slowly meet the pavement, careful not to put too much weight on the angry ankle. 

“Wait,” I lean over into the car, balancing on one leg and a hand on the car's frame, grabbing a pastel sweater from the once beige passenger seat now spattered with little red stains. 

“Wrap this around my ankle,” I hold it out to him and his brow furrows.

“But… you’re gonna ruin it.” 

A laugh broke out of my chest and I almost didn’t recognize it. Maybe last week or maybe even yesterday I would have cared about ruining a perfectly good sweater, but now? 

“I think we are past ruined sweaters Zayn,” I run a hand through my hair letting out a sigh and closing my eyes, “Sophi is in there and I can't let her see this.” 

He just nods and leans down, loosely wrapping the cloth around the wound before standing back up and throwing one of my arms back over his shoulder, “Ready?” 

I can already hear Dinah screaming in the back of my head, “As I’ll ever be.” 

We hobble up the steps one by one to the front door where Zayn reaches out and tentatively knocks on the solid wood as if he thought this one too would fall its hinges like his own. 

I quirk an eyebrow at him and knock so violently the metal handle shakes until the door swings open suddenly revealing a raving Dinah, “I don’t know who the hell you think you are but I swear to- oh my god.”

Her jaw falls to the floor as she looks absolutely dumbstruck at Zayn as if he was a Greek god that had descended upon her doorstep, “Mila where have you been hiding this guy?” 

A pink color creeps its way into Zayn’s cheeks as he clears his throat and extends his slightly shaking hand and if it was because of the weight of a mother human finally weighing on him or his obviously overwhelming reaction to Dinah we will never know, “Hi, I’m Zayn.”

Their hands fall into a rhythm and small smiles rest on their faces.

“Mila!” Sophie squealed as she popped in the door frame and wrapped her arms around me. 

She wrinkled her nose and stepped back with a quizzical expression, “Mila, what's on your shirt?”

Dinah's eyebrows knit together as if she didn’t even realize I had been there at all and looked over at me before dropping the hand in hers and pushing Sophie back into the house, “OH MY GOD!”

“SHHHHHHH!” I quickly slap a hand over her mouth before she alerts one or any of her tweets three roommates, “I need your help and we need to not alarm Sophie do you understand? I need you to nod if you understand” 

She nods slowly with my hand still over her mouth before she turns around to a disheveled and confused looking Sophie, “It’s just ketchup Soph! You know how messy Mila is.” 

She seemed to accept this or if not she at least became bored of the interaction, “Okay, can I go finish playing with Niko now?”

“Yeah go ahead, we will let you know when it's time to go.”

With that, she skipped down the hallway reverting all of Dinah's attention back on me, “Let's go upstairs.”

—————

“OW!”

“Shhhh! Hey, I thought we were trying to be low key here!” Dinah carefully goes back to unwrapping the sweater that has adhered to the cuts, leaving behind little yellow fabrics in its wake. 

“Okay, okay, it’s done. Zayn, go in the bathroom and get the hydrogen peroxide from under the sink,” she watched him quickly scramble away before turning back to me, “Are you going to tell me what happened or what?

I sucked in a breath, “I killed someone.”

She busts out laughing so hard her younger sister that has been quietly sitting in the windowsill with her headphones on actually glances up from her book before rolling her eyes and resuming position. 

“Yeah right Mila, seriously what happened?” 

Her smile slowly fades from her lips as we hold eye contact and I try to relay the events of this evening making sure to put extra emphasis on how sorry I was for getting blood in the car before Zayn comes trotting back into the room with a small rag and a dark brown bottle. 

“Is this true?” She looks at him with a plea in her eyes for it to all be fake, some elaborate ruse and I had actually just fallen and made a mess of things perusal. 

But he nods, “Camila didn’t really have a choice. In fact, if she hadn’t been there he probably would have taken all of us out by surprise." 

The idea makes my eyes sting with threatening tears as my mind replaces the image of Michael bleeding into the dead grass with Laurens bright green eyes dull and lifeless. 

Dinah and Zayn continued to talk idly back and forth, soft chuckles coming from either one occasionally as they tried to fill the gaping space around me. The room is slowly filled with darkness and the warm glow of the power puff girl lamp next to Dinah's bed as the night takes over and there is nothing else to do but leave. 

Dinah gathers Sophi and Zayn tries to nonchalantly guide me down the stairs and out to the street, “Are you sure you don’t need me to walk you home?”

I offer him a small smile and hitch a thumb over my shoulder, “I’m sure, I live just across the street and I’m sure my mother has already seen us talking with her binoculars but I would rather not have her ask me why Tall Dark and Handsome is walking me home.”

He laughs softly, “Alright Camila, I guess I’ll see you around then?”

“Yeah of course,” He turns and makes his way down the sidewalk before it dawns on me, “Zayn! Wait! How are you going to get home?”

He lets out a genuine laugh and shakes his head before shouting, “There are these things called buses Camila! They take you all over the place!”

Right of course. I shout a goodbye of sorts and grab Sophie's hand before leading us across the street and into the little blue house. 

—————

I feel Nothing. You would think I would be upset, confused, angry, traumatized, or even just distraught, but I feel nothing. There is this eerie calm weighing down on my chest as I lie in bed and stare at the star-shaped oil stains on the ceiling where stars once shone. I keep retracing every detail, every sound, every movement and keep coming up with the same result over and over. The same questions linger, where had those bruises come from? What if she had died? What if I had died? What happened next?

A sharp tap on the window pane startles me out of my thoughts. Trying to make out a shadow against the black night sky is near impossible. I walk over to the window and lift it open, a slender figure quickly diving into the room, “Lauren?”

The soft light of the street lamp dramatizes her features making her face look impossibly hollow but her eyes were full and bright. I don’t have words if I did I don’t think I would risk using them. Instead, I wrap my arms around her shoulders and bury my face in her neck. 

Her hair smells like the wind and lavender mixed together in a chaotic dance. After a few beats, she wraps her arms around me, her fingers digging into my back and side as she pulls me impossibly closer. 

She pulls away all too soon and opens her mouth to speak, but all that comes out it a choked sob and I press my lips against hers in an attempt to swallow her tears. It’s slow and needy and we collapse onto the bed, thread into each other, too afraid to let go and dumb enough not to care.


	10. Are We Out Of The Woods Yet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually forgot to post a chapter that was supposed to be before the last one so instead, I reworked it and I hope you like it!

**Camilas POV**

 

The sun streams in through the blinds, lighting up small specs of dust as they dance in the air above our heads. It's pretty but also kind of gross if you think about it. The weight on my chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm, she looks so peaceful like this. Calm and soft behind all of her usual defenses. Soft circles of purple and deep blues stain her skin around her eye and jaw. Her hair smells like the ocean and even though its thousands of miles awayI feel like I’m there. I try to keep my breathing as steady as possible as if one-off rhythm breath could send her away.

 

“CAMILA!” Heavy steps ripple across the floorboards from the stairs.

 

“Oh shit!” I toss Lauren unceremoniously onto the floor in a torrent of sheets and throw on the closest t-shirt and shorts all in one motion.

 

“Shit shit shit, get under the bed!”

 

Laurens eyebrow shoots up incredulously and hisses, “I do not hide under beds!”

 

“Okay well then Princess Jauregui, get in the closet!”

 

She scoffs but obliges and not a heartbeat too late as the closet door clicks shut, mine bursts open.

 

“Mija! Te he estado llamando ¿Te has quedado sordo?” She swats the dish towel off her shoulder at my thighs.

 

“No Mami, I can hear you fine! I was just up late studying I must have slept through my alarm.”

 

Her eyes roam over me for a calculating moment before accepting the answer, “Alright well you better hurry, your Papi will drop you off on his way to work you have fifteen minutes.”

 

She starts to turn before a deep furrow sets in her brow, “Mija, is that a new shirt?”

 

I look down and I can’t tell if my heart is going to stop or explode as I trace over the black t-shirt trying to find a convincing answer in the lettering but no matter how hard I try it continues to read GRATEFUL DEAD and I would be grateful to be dead right now, “Uhhhh no! No, its uh Dinah's brothers, she left it here after our sleepover last week.”

 

She tisks and shakes her head back and forth, “He always was a strange boy, you need to return it, it's much too dark for you.”

 

With that, she made her swift exit and all the oxygen rushed back into my body as it clicked tightly back into place.

 

I try to focus on the beating in my chest, willing it to slow down but I catch myself again staring at the black threads. Darkness wasn’t the word I would have used to describe it but there was a new color in my mind, like a new layer to a canvas had taken over.

 

“You can keep it if you want.”

 

I jump at least three feet off the ground and stumble back into the bed clutching my chest. I swear to god my hearts going to quit one of these days.

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

I let my fingers trail down the soft cotton, “Are you sure?”

 

She smiled that small smile you were never sure if she meant to show and nodded slipping on her jeans and my white 1975 t-shirt from the floor. Before I can admire the way the fabric clings to her arms she is halfway out the window.

 

“Wait!” She pauses and looks at me but the words I want to say stick in my throat so instead, “Will I see you at school?”

 

“No, I have somethings I need to… clean up,” She trains her gaze onto the street below and I know exactly what she means no matter how much I wish it was all a weird fever dream. She doesn’t wait for a reply before she slips out of the window I’ve been wishing out of my whole life.

 

 

—————

 

 

 

_“You have to be fucking kidding me.”_

 

_“Oh come on now sweetheart I thought you'd be happy to see me?” He tilts his head and flashes a row of yellow jagged teeth._

 

_Panic? Me? Never._

 

_“Listen the boys and Lauren are home so unless you have some goons hiding in the mailbox over there I’d say you’re a little outnumbered.”_

 

_Michaels grin only widens with a dark chuckle from deep in his throat, “Really? Because to me, it looks like you’re just a little girl all alone, stuck in the floorboards.”_

 

_Okay, I’m panicking._

 

_The wood rakes across my skin as I give another feeble attempt to break free and I swear something brushes against my foot. But he just laughs and I fight the tears stinging my eyes and threatening to run down my cheeks. I can’t believe I thought I could just come down here and what? Say hi? What was I expecting to find? A friendly game of volleyball in the yard that had just lost track of time?_

 

_A rough hand clamps under my arm and yanks me from the floor sending splinters of wood flying across the porch. I can't help but scream as he carelessly throws my body down the stairs and onto the cracked pavement. A high pitched ringing takes over my senses as blood begins staining the ground around me from my mangled ankle and a tight gash sending blood into my eyes._

 

“Miss Cabello?”

 

“Mila, are you okay?”

 

“MISS CABELLO!”

 

The image of the classroom slowly starts to come back into view as it stitches its self over the fresh memory. Mrs. Clayton is staring at me from the board still pointing at something about Plato with her dry erase marker, “Are you ready to join us?”

 

“Ummm yes, sorry Mrs. Clayton, it won't happen again.” I tuck my head down and start copying the board without seeing its words.

 

“Mila, are you okay?” It’s the same familiar whisper as before, Normani has worry laced in her eyes and I don’t really have enough heart left to console her.

 

Ever since Lauren disappeared through the window this morning a numbness has taken over along with flashbacks to yesterday. Every scene, every second plays through my head like a horror movie but I’m not scared. I have seen it a hundred times in the last twenty-four hours.

 

—————

 

**Laurens POV**

 

Its a bright day. Too bright. The sun beats down through the leaves in the trees as it floods the forest floor in patches and bursts but there is no heat to it. It's just a spotlight from above so every creature living in the forest can witness the fresh shallow grave.

 

We’ve been digging for hours but we can’t risk him coming back one way or another.

Sweat trickles down the side of Zayn's brow, he hasn’t stopped moving since he got back from taking Camila home like if he stopped for even a second reality would catch up to him and swallow him whole.

 

“Okay, I think that's as good as it's going to get.” He swipes his forehead with the back of his wrist leaving a smear of dirt in its path.

 

I nod, my tongue hasn’t worked since this morning. Once my feet hit the sidewalk outside of Camila’s little blue house I ran all the way home. Past every bus stop and taxi. Past tall buildings and small crumblings homes all the way to the clubhouse. I couldn’t breathe and I didn’t want to. My mind had been blank with the pain of sore muscles and empty lungs. But now as Zayn rolls the body into the unmarked grave the blank eyes staring back at me from the dirt bring it all rushing back.

 

_Out of every punch thrown, every swift kick to the ribs, every starving night, every aggravated burn, nothing hurts more than seeing her._

 

_Everything stops for a moment and I feel nothing. Blood is trickling down through a gash from her brow and for a moment her chocolate brown eyes are brighter than the blades of grass bundled in her fists. Her dark brown waves fall black around her small frame and I’m staring at myself, crumbled at the bottom of the stairs. I blink a few times and she comes back into focus beautiful and tragic. I want to scoop her up and carry her inside. I want to scream at him and bury him in the ground. I want to set the trees and the grass and the whole yard on fire for watching her fall and not doing a single thing to help. Just like me._

 

_“Hey!” Zayn is shouting but It sounds distant, like an echo in space, “Don’t touch her!”_

 

_Everything starts moving in slow motion but it still feels like I can’t keep up. Michael throws his head back in a deep menacing laugh that seeps into every nerve in my body. Camila’s shaky arms buckle underneath her as she attempts to rise from the ground leaving her to hover motionless over the concrete. In one swift motion, he drives his foot straight into her side with a hollering cackle. Before I can even register the action I’m flying off the porch and swinging a fist into his ghostly cheek._

 

_“Don’t. Touch. Her.” Its all I can manage and it's all I need._

 

_But he just laughs and wipes the blood from his lip with the back of his hand, “You think you can make a fool out of me Jauregui?”_

 

_He quickly reaches for his hip and points a barrel straight between my eyes, “NO ONE MAKES A FOOL OUT OF ME!”_

 

_He moves closer so the gun is pressing against my cheek and I can feel his spit on my forehead as he screams but I can’t hear a thing. The only thing I can do is stare at the girl struggling once again from the ground and so help me god I wish she would just stay down._

 

_“Look Michael if we could all just calm down for a minute.” Zayn steps up next to me with his hands raised slightly in front of his chest as if he could keep the chaos at a distance._

 

_“ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME JAUREGUI?!” His foot stomps down violently on the small girl, “Or do I need to get rid of your little distraction?”_

 

_“I SAID DON’T TOUCH HER!”_

 

_Everything just goes red as I throw my elbow into his wrist and pull my knee into his chest. The gun goes clattering to the stained concrete as he swings a tight fist into the bridge of my nose splitting the healing wound once again. I swipe a foot under him and we fall to the ground with flying fists. He manages to flip me on to my back and wrap his hands around my neck with a tight squeeze._

 

_“Get off!” The greasy hair boy rolls over with a grunt and I look up through the haze to see Zayn standing above me with a bat in one hand and the other held out to me. Motion catches my attention somewhere to the side of the dark haired boy but its too late to warn him when one of Michaels goons tackle him to the ground._

 

_All I can hear is shouting and the sounds of skin tearing skin. I manage to sit up for a moment and survey the yard. It looks like Michaels reinforcements showed up and so have ours. Boys litter the yard falling over one another and somewhere near the porch I spot Harry fending off a smaller boy with a laceless converse high top. I continue to look with more and more urgency for the small girl. That's when I spot her, waiting on her knees with big brown eyes closed tight for Michael to pull the trigger with a murderous smirk._

 

_With my last bit of strength, I pick myself up and hurl my body at the boy successfully knocking him to the ground once again. The scene around us flashes by as we each struggle for dominance. He manages to straddle me again placing his fingers on the already formed bruises around my neck and suddenly everything burns._

 

_And I can feel everything._

 

_I can hear Harry yelling battle cries from the porch. I can smell the blood pooling in the grass. I can see Camila rising from the ground with a gun in her hand. I feel the warm blood spatter onto my face as Michael falls limp on top of me._

 

_And I hear nothing._

 

_Nothing but the blood rushing through my ears and my pulse pounding through every vein. Michaels lifeless body thudding to the ground and the struggle of oxygen entering my lungs are the only sounds on the whole block. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Even Michaels crew seemed frozen to their spots, fists and weapons falling to their sides. I finally manage to catch my breath and find my way to my feet._

 

_Camila is just standing there motionless and expressionless. There's no life in her pale blood-spattered cheeks. Her eyes are fixed on the scene that played out moments before and I dare to step closer leaving a few inches between us but she just looks right through me._

 

_“Camila.” I whisper and rest my hand over her fingers still wound tightly around the gun._

 

_“Camila.” I try again but nothing. I move my other hand to brush her cheek._

 

_“Camila.” She suddenly takes a sharp gasp of air as if her head had just broken out of the waves of whatever held her hostage. Her eyes dart to mine with every reflection of pain shining back at me. Silent sobs wrack her body and I try to catch her before we are both on our knees. She presses her forehead into my collar as we rock back and forth._

 

_I have to get her out of here._

 

_I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves, “Zayn.”_

 

_He kneeled behind Camila awaiting command._

 

_“Take her to Dinah.”_


	11. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone reading this can thank ETPhoneHomex, I managed to finish this chapter this week specifically because I knew they were waiting on it so thank you for the motivation and I have already started the next chapter! We are back in the swing of this thing!

**Camila’s POV.**

 

_“You’re worthless you know that?”_

 

_His words drip like venom over the chaos as the cold metal presses harder against my forehead._

 

_“You’re just some dumb coddled rich bitch that thought she could, what? Be them? Save them?”_

 

_The scene slows when I glance around and they are all standing, laughing, with blood dripping down their faces. I look back and the face of the boy holding the gun melts away and is replaced with menacing green eyes and pointed brows digging the weapon further into my skin._

 

_“Save me?” Laurens voice pierces my heart like every word is a small dagger and a laugh erupts from her throat that sends every nerve on edge, “You can’t even save yourself.”_

 

_Her eyes never leave mine as her finger squeezes the trigger-_

 

BANG

 

My heart races a thousand beats a second as my eyes dart around the bright room, hand clutching my chest. The sounds of men talking outside and another bang as a car backfires stream through the open bedroom window with the winter breeze. I try to steady my breathing.

 

It was just a dream but I swear I can still feel the cold metal against my head and her icy laugh in my veins.

 

It’s been two weeks and the nightmares have been reoccurring. Every time I’m finally able to drift off the scene of the fight plays behind my eye lids but everything is obscured and blurred into something somehow even more horrific than the truth.

 

I wipe the sweat from my face and blow out a rush of air.

 

Just a dream.

 

The rest of the morning is a blur as I stumble to the shower where I stand for thirty minutes as the warm water turns cold. I grab a t-shirt and jeans from the floor and turn to find myself in the mirror.

 

She looks strange, the mirror me. Her eyes are dark with deep shadows from restless nights and her cheeks look hallow and impossibly sharp. The black threads of the Grateful Dead t-shirt hang loosely from her frame and become damp in the spots her hair lays across the shoulders.

 

I watch my thin fingers trace the word ‘DEAD’ when something catches the corner of my eye.

 

I look up in the reflection and see him. Standing behind me with his impossibly white skin and sunken red eyes. Thin ashen lips curl up in a an amused snarl, _“Miss me cupcake?”_

 

I spin around to an empty room. With the nightmares came Michael.

 

I don’t believe in ghosts. If I did his image would be too much to bare. Every corner, every reflection, lingering on the edge of my vision is Michael. Always pale and wicked and partially decayed.

 

I try to shake it off, honestly his presence has become more of a nuisance than anything else. I run another hand through damp hair and head down stairs.

 

The sounds of forks hitting plates and the smell of pancakes wash over me before I reach the bottom step. It’s weird how life moves on for everyone else, like nothing ever happened. I guess it didn’t. To them.

 

“Kaki!” Sophi shouts from the table around the wad of bread in her mouth.

 

“There you are Mila! I was starting to think you were dead up there the way you’ve been sleeping in.”

 

She flutters around me and frets with my plate as I lower myself into the chair across from Sophi. She does this when she’s nervous.

 

“Aye mija, you are looking a little pale are you feeling alright?” She fidgets with my wet curls trying to brush them out of my eyes.

 

“Yes mama its winter.” I poke my fork absentmindedly into the soft bread while Soph takes the liberty of drenching it in sweet caramel syrup for me.

 

“Well maybe some make up would help! I know you have never been big on it but you at least used to put on a little something maybe that would help.” She fumbles with my glass as she tops off the untouched juice, “And I thought we talked about that shirt its not helping your complexion, it’s much too dark for you.”

 

I hum in response and she begins to pick up around the kitchen still rambling on about this and that, she even picks up Sophi’s plate as she is mid bite and doesn’t return it when the little girl lets out a high pitch squeal.

 

I have been making her very, very, nervous.

 

The rest of the morning floats by in scenes. I leave my pancake stabbed and drenched but un eaten on the table and mom gives another disappointed sigh as I make my way out the door.

 

I walk down the path and cut through the creek frozen over with a thin layer of ice, make my way under the rusted water tower, and down Main Street as shop owners shovel snow and flip their signs to welcome the day. I make it all the way to my locker before I run out of whatever it is that keeps people moving.

 

There are moments in life when you look back and ponder how you got to where you are. Where exactly did I go wrong? When was the exact moment everything took a turn to the left instead of the right? Did I choose this path or was it chosen for me?

 

Everything seems to speed up and slow down at the same time. People rush by to get the next class, the next conversation, the next task. Everything simple and surface with no scars or bruises over their young lives. The school bells ring and the halls become slowly empty but I can’t move. My feet have grown roots through the linoleum tile as the answer to all my questions stands in front of me.

 

Her eyes search mine and I feel a spark stirring me back to life somewhere deep in my chest. Lauren holds out a hand and like a magnet my fingers intertwine without thought or pause, “Wanna get out of here?”

 

 

**Laurens POV.**

 

She looks like a ghost.

 

She doesn’t say anything when I ask her to leave with me but the gentle squeeze I receive when she lets her fingers lace with mine is confirmation enough. I lead her out through the double wide doors and down the front steps to the awaiting bike.

 

The sight of her standing in front of my bike with my shirt on and helmet in hand sends a shot through me. I feel a smile starting to tug at the corners of my mouth. The muscles feel foreign and strained but Camila brings out a weird happiness in me I can’t stop my body from reacting to. Her presence is electric and calming all in the same breath. Like I’m right where I’m supposed to be yet I have no idea where that is.

 

She quirks an eye brow at me and I shake the moment off but my hands itch to be tangled in her hair.

 

“Hey!” Camila looks just as confused about the voice as I do, “Yeah! You two! Hey!”

 

A small woman is power walking down the stairs in a light blue track suit with a scowl painted on her face, “What do you two think you are doing?”

 

Camila’s face is neutral and relaxed in that dead in the eyes kind of way she’s been lately.

 

The hobbit advances on Camila and points a finger into her chest, “You two. My office. Now.”

 

She storms off up the stairs, checking back every few moments to make sure Camila is in tow. The halls are quiet and empty for their march of shame. Each step claps against the luminescent tile and bounces off the walls making the hallways seem impossibly large and ever winding. I tend to stay away from these places. The fake smiles and distorted topics of importance.

 

Finally we make our way into a small room that looks more passable as a closet than an office. The door is decorated with a small metal plate reading _Coach Brooks_ thats covered in glitter and the schools mascot painted with matching team colors. You would think they could have come up with something more clever than a bear.

 

Coach Brooks looks impossibly smaller behind the large desk that almost touches both walls of the room. The chairs on the other side of the desk are comically small. They are what you would expect to see in a kindergarten class room not a high school sports office. I glance at Camila as we settle into our seats and she just gives me that small smile that says she agrees that this is utterly ridiculous.

 

“Camila I don’t know what is going on with you,” Coach Brooks fingers drum nervously and, with every passing second of Camilas silence, increasingly impatiently, “You have been skipping practices and when you are there you aren’t even able to run in a straight line.”

 

Camilas silence is starting to grow thick in the small room. I clear my throat, “Ummm yes Coach I apologize I think thats my fault.”

 

The woman turns her attempted icy stare to me, “Who even are you?”

 

“Lauren,” Camilas voice sounds hollow but the sounds of my name on her lips still makes my heart skip a beat, “Her name is Lauren.”

 

“Lauren,” She cocks an eyebrow, “Do you even go to this school Lauren?”

 

“I uh think so?” Truth is I have no idea if I’m still enrolled at this school. It’s incredibly likely that my mother has continued paying someone in the admission office to slide me through the cracks, but I hadn’t been to a class all semester.

 

“You think so?” She gives me one more look before focusing back on Camila with a sigh, “Okay. Okay, I get it. You are having a distracting romance situation. This happens to everyone.”

 

A laugh escapes my lips that I have to cover up with a cough earning me another nerf dart glare, “Like I was saying, Camila we need you to get your head in the game. Your team is counting on you. One of our biggest matches of the season is next week and you’re our best player.”

 

Camila just nods and stands to leave. If the woman was planning on excusing us her self it was a thought lost on Camila.

 

She is already out the door and in the hallway before I manage to squeeze myself out of the tiny chair. I’m two steps to freedom when the woman speaks again, “Lauren.”

 

I stop and turn to see desperation and worry sprinkled in her eyes, “Please take care of her. I don’t know what’s going on but I’ve never seen her like this.”

 

I offer her a small smile, “Of course I will.”

 

“Oh and Lauren, find a class and get in it.” With that she turned her attention to some papers on her desk and began scribbling on the pages.

 

“Yes Coach.”


End file.
